Perth and Kinross councillors will this week be asked to consider extending licensing hours over the coronation weekend.
There will be an additional bank holiday on Monday, May 8 to mark the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday May 6, 2023.
Perth and Kinross Licensing Board will meet on Wednesday, April 12 to decide whether or not to allow revellers the opportunity to celebrate later in local hostelries over the bank holiday weekend.
Under the terms of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, boards can decide to extend local licensing hours for a "special" event of local or national significance. The councillors will first be asked to consider whether or not the King's Coronation counts as such a "special" event.
The report going before Perth and Kinross Licensing Board on Wednesday states: "No definition of 'special' is provided in the 2005 Act. Members should therefore consider, in the first instance, whether the King’s Coronation is a special event of local or national significance, in terms of Sections 67 and 68 of the 2005 Act."
Should the councillors agree it to be a "special" event they could then decide to extend local licensing hours.
The report states: "Given the national importance of the event, a general extension to allow extended social demand hours for licensed premises taking place within the Perth and Kinross area could be made. Should licensing hours be extended, the extension could apply to the evenings/nights of Friday 5 and Saturday 6 May 2023 (i.e. into the early hours of Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 May 2023) or such other period as the board may determine."
Currently the annual Perth and Kinross licensing social demand hours on a Friday and Saturday evening - where there is no specific entertainment - are until 1230 but extend to 0100 over the festive period. Licensing hours are extended to 0130 for functions - where there is specific entertainment - on Fridays and Saturdays.
The board will meet on Wednesday morning to make their decision.
